Jim's Revised Peter Heinrichs Dark Strong Review.

[JimInks]

Maybe the curly special was changed too? Both show "longer delivery time" or something like that on the website.

I'm getting a sample of that in a few days. I have the old stuff to do a direct comparison. I wish I had an older sample of PH Golden Sliced so I could do a direct comparison of that rather than just rely on my memory.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

The woody, earthy red Virginia adds much of what sweetness there is: tangy and dried dark fruit. It's a bit subdued by the dark fired Kentucky, but that's not a complaint, just an observation. I consider the RV to be more of a condimental addition. The woody, lightly floral, nutty, vegetative Kentucky is a little deeper flavored with a touch more earth and a little spice. The bright Virginia offers tart and tangy citrus with a touch of grass and floralness as a condiment. The sugary black cavendish is a condiment. The molasses topping is mildly applied, and there's a touch of licorice as well. They sublimate the tobaccos to a moderate extent. The nic-hit is in the center of mild to medium. The strength and taste levels are medium. Burns cool, clean and a little slow with a very consistent sweet taste. Requires few relights, and leaves a little moisture in the bowl. Has a pleasantly lingering after taste. The room note is a tad stronger. Not an all day smoke.

Is it the very same tobacco as the Orlik Dark Kentucky? No, it isn't. Orlik Dark Kentucky was a slightly sweeter and easier on the tongue when I compared the two blends some years back. PH DSF seems just slightly harsher, and has a little more molasses than the licorice in the Orlik version. The red Virginia was a little more prominent in ODSK with more dark fruit flavor. You could see it a little more, too.

UPDATE 12-24-2014: I'm smoking a freshly opened tin, and the tobacco has changed from when I smoked it a couple of years ago. The Virginia is brighter with much less red, and doesn't have the level of dark fruit that it once had, and is a little sweeter. It still has the same molasses and licorice flavor, though I notice the licorice a little more than before. It has a little more grass and citrus that it didn't have before because the bright Virginia content is greater now, though the level of earthiness seems to be the same. It's also a tad spicier than it used to be. The sugary black cavendish is still a condiment. The strength and taste levels are the same, barely. The nicotine level lightly less potent. The burn rate and after taste are the same. Four stars for the older version, three for the new one.

UPDATE 6-23-2022: This blend has been radically changed. The label no longer mentions dark fired Kentucky or red Virginia. The amount of tart and tangy, grassy, bready, sour lemon, vegetative, mildly floral, sugary, acidic bright Virginia has been increased. Many flakes are predominantly bright Va. with a little black cavendish bookending the slices or are partly on one side. There are flakes and broken flakes that are pure black cavendish, but the proportions don’t average out the way they used to when dark fired Kentucky was used in this blend. Judging the 2016 production and this one side by side, the bright Virginia appears to have been increased by approximately twelve to fifteen percent. The very sweet and spicy black cavendish is the major component, and is described as having “its typical roasted aroma”. To my tastebuds, it appears that Kentucky was subjected to the black cavendish process as it certainly has a nutty presence that I associate with burley. The label states that a fruity plum topping was added. It mildly tones down the tobacco, although I still taste a little licorice despite the written omission of its presence on the label.

The strength and nic-hit are still medium, but the taste is now a step past that mark. It’s more floral, citrusy, sour, mildly spicier (due to the increase in the brights), and less sweet with distracting acidity. The black cavendish certainly has a little less strength than the dark fired Kentucky formerly used, and depending how you prepare your smoke, isn’t always the lead component unless you stack the bowl in its favor. However, that would leave you with a lot of bowls where the bright Va. is the major factor. There’s no chance of a consistent flavor unless you spend bit time manipulating the flakes to suit that purpose. Essentially, this is now the type blend where you can experiment with the proportions of the varietals for your own amusement. Moderately moist, it still burns a tad slow, and requires some relights. Leaves little dampness in the bowl and has a more acrid room note. It’s not an all day smoke. One and a half stars rounded down to one for this production largely due to the acidity and uneven distribution of the varietals. My rating at TR reflects this version.

Jim, you called it Dark Strong in the title to this thread. Is it Dark Strong Flake you are talking about? The reason I ask is I have a 500g batch of this that I bought 2 years 4 months ago and i'm very interested to know whether I've got the old stuff or this new batch.

The bulk of my cellar is kept at my mum's many miles away so I can't open the mylar bag I sealed it in to see what the labeling says.
It's a real shame when the recipe on these highly regarded blends changes. I'm sure I read on the forum a while back that the recipe for the amazing Solani Silver Flake had changed for the worse. It's a damn shame.

Thanks for re-reviewing some of these blends that have changed ingredients as it's very helpful when considering future purchases?.

 

[Ahi Ka]

They don't mention DFK any more because it's not in there.

They must have ran out after loading up their other blends with it

 

[JimInks]

Jim, you called it Dark Strong in the title to this thread. Is it Dark Strong Flake you are talking about? The reason I ask is I have a 500g batch of this that I bought 2 years 4 months ago and i'm very interested to know whether I've got the old stuff or this new batch.

The bulk of my cellar is kept at my mum's many miles away so I can't open the mylar bag I sealed it in to see what the labeling says.
It's a real shame when the recipe on these highly regarded blends changes. I'm sure I read on the forum a while back that the recipe for the amazing Solani Silver Flake had changed for the worse. It's a damn shame.

Thanks for re-reviewing some of these blends that have changed ingredients as it's very helpful when considering future purchases?.

I think your stash is the old stuff, but of course there's only one way to be certain. I didn't hear any complaints about Dark Strong Flake until a friend showed me a photo of the changed contents label. He sent it to me to see what I thought.

I'm glad my reviews help you and others. While I admit to the desire to satisfy my own curiosity, the main reason I am doing these revised reviews is so our fellow pipers know what is happening. I don't want to see anybody waste their money on something they may not like. It's important to get the news out. I will be revisiting a few other blends: PH Special Curly, F&T Cut Virginia Plug, F&T Special Brown Flake, and maybe a couple of others. I'm just waiting for the new versions to come in. I wish I knew somebody who had an older sample of PH Golden Slice so I can do a direct comparison. I can go on memory with it, but I'd rather not if possible.

Several generous people have helped me get what I have needed for some of these revised reviews. I couldn't do it without their help.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Well that sucks. I haven't cracked any of my new tins because I still have a 2021 tin in a jar. Only other one I grabbed was Gold Sliced. Hate to hear that about Darl Strong. I found Wessex Dark Flake to also be different. I at least don't hate it, but it's different than older renditions.

 

[JimInks]

Well that sucks. I haven't cracked any of my new tins because I still have a 2021 tin in a jar. Only other one I grabbed was Gold Sliced. Hate to hear that about Darl Strong. I found Wessex Dark Flake to also be different. I at least don't hate it, but it's different than older renditions.

It is. I posted my revised review of it on this forum in case you haven't seen it.

 

[coming to_falling too]

I think your stash is the old stuff, but of course there's only one way to be certain. I didn't hear any complaints about Dark Strong Flake until a friend showed me a photo of the changed contents label. He sent it to me to see what I thought.

I'm glad my reviews help you and others. While I admit to the desire to satisfy my own curiosity, the main reason I am doing these revised reviews is so our fellow pipers know what is happening. I don't want to see anybody waste their money on something they may not like. It's important to get the news out. I will be revisiting a few other blends: PH Special Curly, F&T Cut Virginia Plug, F&T Special Brown Flake, and maybe a couple of others. I'm just waiting for the new versions to come in. I wish I knew somebody who had an older sample of PH Golden Slice so I can do a direct comparison. I can go on memory with it, but I'd rather not if possible.

Several generous people have helped me get what I have needed for some of these revised reviews. I couldn't do it without their help.

Jim, any idea as to when Gold Sliced was changed? I bought a can 2 years ago that I still haven't opened up yet. If you think it's before the change then I would be willing to send you some.

 

[JimInks]

Jim, any idea as to when Gold Sliced was changed? I bought a can 2 years ago that I still haven't opened up yet. If you think it's before the change then I would be willing to send you some.

I have no idea when it changed, but the suspicion is there because of the new contents label with a different description. You probably have what I'm looking for. I'll PM you.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

It is. I posted my revised review of it on this forum in case you haven't seen it.

I did see it. Nice review Jim, although unfortunage circumstances.
Have you tried the new Wessex Red VA? Or Marlin Flake?
I'm worried the change can be said for any of the blends released in 2022.

 

[JimInks]

Jim, any idea as to when Gold Sliced was changed? I bought a can 2 years ago that I still haven't opened up yet. If you think it's before the change then I would be willing to send you some.

Would you mind posting a photo of the contents label?

 

[JimInks]

I did see it. Nice review Jim, although unfortunage circumstances.
Have you tried the new Wessex Red VA? Or Marlin Flake?
I'm worried the change can be said for any of the blends released in 2022.

The last time I tried Marlin Flake was four years ago, and it was different than the version I smoked from 2000-2010. They reduced the amount of red Virginia and perique, added more black cavendish and sweet topping. Dunno if it's changed since then. I haven't tried the new Wessex Red Va.

 

[coming to_falling too]

Would you mind posting a photo of the contents label?

Yes, I will do so in the morning when I get off work.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

The last time I tried Marlin Flake was four years ago, and it was different than the version I smoked from 2000-2010. They reduced the amount of red Virginia and perique, added more black cavendish and sweet topping. Dunno if it's changed since then. I haven't tried the new Wessex Red Va.

Interesting. Preciate the input Jim

 

[JimInks]

Interesting. Preciate the input Jim

You're very welcome, my friend.

 

[karam]

I've no idea. @karam noticed it six months ago as he wrote in his post. I wonder if anybody did before him?

Just to clarify: this is what i got some 6 months ago, sounds like it is the new stuff but can’t tell because i never had it before. I was just saying I can’t believe all this black stuff was ever DFK, in this blend or others

I still like this tobacco, even of I found it almost cloying at times.

i got my bag straight from the German PH shop, they still mention Kentucky there.

 

[JimInks]

Just to clarify: this is what i got some 6 months ago, sounds like it is the new stuff but can’t tell because i never had it before. I was just saying I can’t believe all this black stuff was ever DFK, in this blend or others

I still like this tobacco, even of I found it almost cloying at times.

i got my bag straight from the German PH shop, they still mention Kentucky there.

View attachment 153916

Here's a photo of what I have:


In regard to what that German shop says, you occasionally see sites that don't update their blend information. For over ten years, I tried to get Synjeco to remove the mention of perique in Three Nuns since it wasn't there any more. It was the sam description they had been suing since the 1990s. They always told me they'd change it, but didn't do it until after they started selling the Mac Baren version.

 

[karam]

Here's a photo of what I have:
View attachment 153926

In regard to what that German shop says, you occasionally see sites that don't update their blend information. For over ten years, I tried to get Synjeco to remove the mention of perique in Three Nuns since it wasn't there any more. It was the sam description they had been suing since the 1990s. They always told me they'd change it, but didn't do it until after they started selling the Mac Baren version.

Cheers, this looks pretty much the same

 

[coming to_falling too]

Here's my can of Golden Sliced. Anyone have a new one to compare?

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Here's my can of Golden Sliced. Anyone have a new one to compare?View attachment 153952

I've got one I can post when I get home if nobody has done so by then.

 

[JimInks]

Here's my can of Golden Sliced. Anyone have a new one to compare?View attachment 153952

That's the same label as the current production. But, that doesn't mean that it may or may not have been changed. They could have switched out Virginias or increased the toppings. It's impossible for me to guess anything at this point.